


Idiots to Lovers

by Aria_Lerendeair



Series: Aria's SH Bingo Fics 2019-2020 [12]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Best Friends to Lovers, Human AU, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Magnus Gets A Clue, Miscommunication, Pining, SO FLUFFY, idiot boyfriends, idiots to lovers, soft fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:29:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23304670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria_Lerendeair/pseuds/Aria_Lerendeair
Summary: Magnus and Alec have been not-so-secretly pining for each other for years.  When the chance to confess their feelings is presented, there's confusion, miscommunication, and eventually, them figuring it out.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Aria's SH Bingo Fics 2019-2020 [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1595839
Comments: 39
Kudos: 364
Collections: Favorite Malec Stories, Shadowhunters Fic-A-Thon 2020





	Idiots to Lovers

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Bingo Fill: Best Friends to Lovers!! 
> 
> Prompt by Cloudburst-Ink: Prompt: Awkward dating app encounter.

“Dammit, dammit, dammit,” Alec cursed, striding away from the bar, his shoulders hunched. Of all the ways he’d expected tonight - the first date he’d gone on in years, that he was actually looking forward to and had been so hopeful for - had ended like this. 

  
Worse than that, he might have just cost himself the friendship of the one person he’d never wanted to lose as a result. Alec clenched his eyes shut and glared at the crossing sign, pushing past people the second it changed. He rubbed tiredly at his eyes and strode for the park. He couldn’t get Magnus’ shocked and disappointed reaction out of his mind, his brain determined to replay his failure over and over again. 

  
How had everything gone to shit so fucking quickly? 

  
~!~

  
Magnus sank back into his chair at the table, pressing his hand to his face. He could not have handled that more poorly, and now he’d be lucky if Alexander ever came back to the apartment at all. He sighed, forcing himself to look down at the rose Alec had left lying on the table. His heart ached at the gentle romantic gesture. 

  
It was what his date tonight had promised to bring tonight to identify himself and Magnus wished, more than anything, he could take his reaction back from seeing Alec being the one holding the rose. It was something he’d never dared to hope for. Alec didn’t date, he never had, as long as they’d lived together, and Magnus had been trying to get over his hopeless crush for who knew how long now. 

  
“Why do you look like someone stole your puppy and then bragged about it?” 

  
“Because,” Magnus said with a sigh, looking up at their waiter. “My best friend and I just had the most awkward dating app encounter ever.” 

  
She hummed in sympathy. “Both of you thought you were meeting someone else?” 

  
Magnus nodded and sighed again, wanting to scrub his fingers through his hair in frustration. “Yes. But that’s not the worst of it.” 

  
“It gets worse?” she asked, raising her eyebrows. 

  
“It does,” Magnus breathed, exhaling hard. “Because he’s the one I’ve been trying to get over. And I thought I was. I thought this guy I’d met might be the one person who could maybe help me get over Alec.” 

  
She whistled. “Only for it to turn out to be Alec all along?” 

  
“Yes,” Magnus said hopelessly, whining into his hands. 

  
“I fail to see the problem. Why aren’t the two of you sitting here enjoying a romantic dinner, then?” 

  
Magnus looked up at her and sighed. “Because Alec doesn’t date people. He never has, in the years I’ve known him.” 

  
She snorted and rolled her eyes. “Sounds like it must have taken someone special to get him to agree to go out on a date, then?” 

  
“Yeah,” Magnus snorted with an eye roll, remembering some of the earliest conversations he’d had with PrettyArcherBoy. He’d (Alec, it was Alec, and he couldn’t ever forget that now) confessed that his sister had picked out the name, and Magnus could see Isabelle doing exactly that. “He, his sister had set up the app for him. He, he was trying to get over someone, he said. That he’d liked for a long time.” 

  
When the waiter didn’t respond, Magnus glanced up at her and then down at his hands. “I was hurt. I didn’t think about what I was saying. I realized that Alec had liked someone else for so long, and that even though we’re best friends I didn’t…I didn’t _know_ and…” 

  
“You’re an idiot,” she announced. “How long have the two of you been roommates?” 

  
Magnus blinked in surprise. “Years, now, why?” 

  
She crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re leaving me a large tip for this, I hope you know that.” 

  
“For…what, exactly?” Magnus asked, staring at her. 

  
She huffed. “Boys,” she growled. She picked up the rose and pressed it against the chest of the guy still sitting down. “Let me get this straight. You’ve had unrequited feelings for this guy, Alec, right?” 

  
“Yes?” Magnus offered. 

  
“Okay. Same guy, best friend, you’ve been living with for years, who has never dated anyone in all of that time you’ve known him, accidentally met _you_ on a dating app, and liked you so much that he decided to go on a date with _you,”_ She stared at him and raised her eyebrows. “Did you consider for half a second that maybe he was trying to get over _you_ , too?” 

  
Magnus’ mouth dropped open and he blinked at her. “I…” 

  
“You clearly have chemistry, and you’re clearly attracted to each other. That’s obvious, and you’ve just been discovering that in a safe space through a dating app,” she continued. “But the final nail in the coffin? Did he seem disappointed when he walked up to the table tonight?” 

  
“I…” Magnus opened his mouth to respond and snapped it shut at her look, thinking back to the moment Alec had walked up to the table. For a brief, heartstopping moment, Alec had met his eyes and he’d _smiled_ and… 

  
“Oh god,” Magnus breathed, shoving himself upright. 

  
“There’s that revelation,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “Big tip,” she repeated, smirking. 

  
Magnus ripped out his wallet and handed her the largest bill he had in there, wrapping her fingers around it. “Thank you,” he breathed, staring at her. “Thank you so much.” 

  
She laughed. “Better go hunt him down before you thank me.” 

  
Magnus didn’t stay to agree with her, turning to hurry out of the restaurant. He yanked out his phone and tried to call Alec, cursing when his best friend didn’t answer. He looked around the streets of New York and debated running around after Alec, but there were only two places he could have gone. Home, or… 

  
Magnus turned in the direction of Central Park and began jogging. It took him the better part of thirty minutes, checking all of Alec’s usual haunts, checking his phone every few seconds. He’d almost given up when he spotted Alec sitting alone on a bench, hunched over, his head hanging. 

  
Relief flooded through him and Magnus dashed closer, almost skidding to a stop in front of Alec, panting hard. All he wanted was to wrap his arms around him and never let go. “Alec,” he said on one harsh exhale. When Alec’s head jolted up to stare at him in shock, Magnus had the briefest moment to register Alec’s red-rimmed eyes and tear tracks on his cheeks before he was moving closer. 

  
“M-Magnus,” Alec stuttered, wiping frantically at his eyes. “Wh-what are you-” 

  
“Shut up,” Magnus ordered, his fingers still clenched tight around the rose Alec had brought for him. He reached out and pressed his forehead against Alec’s hair, breathing hard as he caught his breath. “Shut up and let me talk for a second.” 

  
“Okay,” Alec said softly. “I’m sorry, Magnus.” 

  
Magnus flinched and sucked in a hard breath. “No, no, don’t apologize, you have nothing to apologize for, you’re perfect, Alexander, and,” he paused, trying to figure out where he was supposed to start with all of this. “And I, fuck I have no idea how to explain.” 

  
“You don’t have to explain anything, Magnus,” Alec said with a sigh. “I know you were expecting someone else. You’ve, you’ve been so happy lately, and you must be so disappointed now and I’m so sorry.” 

  
“No, no, fuck,” Magnus breathed, shaking his head. “No, Alec, look at me, Alec,” he begged, pulling back just enough to meet Alec’s eyes. “I’m not disappointed-” he stopped at the skeptical and incredulous look Alec gave him and tensed before continuing in a quiet voice. “I’m not, Alec.” 

  
“Then why-” 

  
Magnus huffed. “Why did I demand to know what you were doing there holding a rose, when that was exactly how you’d told me you’d show up, even if I didn’t know it was you?” 

  
Alec’s voice was small. “Yeah.” 

  
Another harsh exhale left Magnus’ lips and he looked up at the sky before focusing back on Alec in front of him. “I have spent the last eight weeks falling head over heels in love with PrettyArcherBoy, Alec.” 

  
Alec’s eyes widened in shock. “You have?” 

  
“Yeah,” Magnus whispered, clearing his throat. “But the best part about falling in love was that I thought…I thought I’d finally be able to get over _you.”_ He watched Alec’s eyes widen in shock and smiled sadly. “I’ve been in love with you for years. But you, you know. Never dated anyone, Alec. So when I saw you…” he trailed off and waved the hand with the rose, trying to articulate with the gesture. 

  
Alec’s eyes snapped to the rose and then back to Magnus. “So you…weren’t disappointed to see me?” 

  
Magnus laughed. “Furthest thing from it. But to find out the person I thought I could finally get over you with was you…I didn’t handle the surprise well.” 

  
Alec blew out a hard breath and frowned, tilting his head. “So, where does that leave us, Magnus?” 

  
“Well,” Magnus said, swallowing hard, stepping closer, meeting Alec’s eyes, reaching out to rub a thumb over Alec’s cheekbone. “I’m in love with you, Alexander. And I’m hoping, I’m _hoping_ you at least like me a little, too.” 

  
Alec surged up and off the bench, grabbing onto the lapels of Magnus’ jacket and Magnus had a second to hope Alec wasn’t about to punch him and storm out of his life before Alec was kissing him, hard and desperate. Magnus took a few precious seconds to respond, but then he was kissing Alec back, just as desperate. 

  
By the time they broke apart and Alec pressed their foreheads together, Magnus wasn’t ashamed to admit that he was clinging a bit to Alec, his fingers digging into his shirt under the jacket and blazer he was wearing. 

  
“I,” Alec swallowed. He leaned in and rubbed their noses together. “I’ve never dated anyone, Magnus. Because, because whenever I tried, they, they weren’t _you._ ”

  
Magnus fought down a laugh and kissed Alec again, because he could, because if he didn’t, he was going to burst with how happy he was. And Alec held him tighter and kissed him back until they were both panting, pressed so close together he never wanted to move again. 

  
“And, and when I met BaneofMyExistence, I thought…” Alec swallowed. “They, they weren’t you. But they made me smile, and they didn’t mind taking things slow. It felt like things always were with you, and then to find out it _was_ you all along… I was so hopeful, when I realized, because you’d said you liked me too, and-” 

  
“And I definitely fucked that part of it up,” Magnus admitted, sliding his fingers through Alec’s hair so he could pull him in for another kiss, until he was sure that Alec had no doubts that he was precisely where he wanted to be. 

  
Alec laughed a little and nodded. “Maybe a little,” he agreed. “But, Magnus?” 

  
Magnus met Alec’s eyes and his heart turned over in his chest, thumping painfully hard at the emotion he could see in Alec’s eyes, close and shining as he leaned in. 

  
“I’m in love with you too,” Alec whispered against Magnus’ lips, kissing him until they had to break apart for air. 

  
“Why don’t-” Magnus scowled when his stomach growled, loudly. Alec laughed at him and Magnus relaxed, watching Alec smile. 

  
“Why don’t we order pizza from our favorite place and then go home?” Alec suggested, hesitantly reaching out to take Magnus’ hand. 

  
Magnus gave Alec’s hand a firm squeeze. “That, my darling,” he watched Alec blush, his cheeks darkening to red and grinned. “Sounds perfect.” 

  
Alec leaned in and kissed Magnus again, quick and hard, nodding, even as he stayed close. “We’re, we’re gonna…” 

  
Magnus narrowed his eyes. “Alexander Lightwood, if you think I am letting you date anyone else after you just told me you’re in love with me, you have another thing-” 

  
“Hush,” Alec growled, leaning in to kiss Magnus, stopping him mid-rant. “I was going to ask if we’re boyfriends now, you idiot.” 

  
“Oh,” Magnus breathed, his face breaking out into a wide smile. He watched Alec roll his eyes and grinned, pressing in close to Alec’s side. “We’re absolutely boyfriends now, Alexander.” 

  
Alec relaxed and smiled, pressing a kiss to Magnus’ temple. “ _Good._ ” 

  
Magnus hummed and let Alec lead him back to their apartment. Good didn’t even begin to cover it, but they could work on that. Together. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Criticisms welcome!
> 
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End file.
